Manchester’s Midfield Minefield: Kobbie vs. Bruno | OneFootball

Ahead of today’s Second Round EFL Cup tie with Grimsby Town, all eyes will be on who get’s the start in Manchester United’s midfield. Will it be Bruno Fernandes or Kobbie Mainoo?

There Is Much Anger…

I lurked on the Ivorian Spice Manchester fancast last weekend on YouTube (check out his match recap on the Red United podcast). There was a lively (and spicy) conversation surrounding Bruno Fernandes. When the Portuguese captain whiffed a penalty kick the fans went ballistic, with cries of “Bruno has to go!” echoing through the chat.

Obviously, local-lad-done-good Kobbie Mainoo is the obvious choice. At 19 years old back in 2024 he was heralded as England’s midfield savior, a midfielder who eschews the long ball in favor of the close pass, who’s not afraid to dribble silkily into traffic but it steely in retaining possession. In this statistics-obsessed world, Mainoo doesn’t generate big numbers like goals or assists. His contributions are subtle, best measured by pass accuracy (89% overall, climbing to 95% in the attacking third) or successful dribbles (59% overall). He eclipses Bruno in these, though lags behind in most others.

Does Mainoo Have a Place?

Alas, manager Rúben Amorim does not appear to have the same love for Kobbie that the fans do. Under his “project” Mainoo has gone from midfield messiah to missing-in-action. He got three starts in United’s long pre-season, but has yet to touch the pitch in the league. Amorim was quoted: “He [Mainoo] just needs to fight for the position with Bruno in training.” Fair enough. But Mainoo is a versatile player. Surely a manager of such vision as Amorim could find another use for his talents? Maybe give him a try at Casemiro’s position?

Perhaps Amorim has concerns for Mainoo’s health. He has suffered two substantial injuries in the past two seasons. These forced him to sit out a combined 39 games. But a player with Mainoo’s talent isn’t a glass figure to be placed in a cupboard. He doesn’t want to be a “what if” bench warmer; a utility tool to plug into the system in the event Bruno needs a bathroom break.

These Boots Were Made for…

Walking? Or kicking a ball?

Let’s not forget that Amorim has seven wins in the past 24 fixtures, so his current approach with United isn’t exactly bearing fruit. And for many United supporters, snubbing Mainoo to the extent that he might leave the club would be a final straw.

Yes, the Stockport kid who bleeds Red through and through, who’s come up from the academy since he was nine, is thinking about leaving. With six days remaining in the summer transfer window, Mainoo’s name has been floated far too frequently as a possible move by reputable sources such as The Athletic, Ben Jacobs, and more.

Which makes today’s line-up so critical. Amorim should give Mainoo the start and give him the chance to make his statement.